Cicer beans (Cicer arietinum) are a high value crop adapted well for both dry land and irrigated cropping regions. Cicer beans are also known as chickpeas or hummus beans and they are an annual grain legume or “pulse crop” that originated in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East. Cicer beans were one of the first legumes cultivated by humans, dating to 7,000-6,000 B.C. Pulse crops, like Cicer beans, dry beans, dry peas, fava beans, lentils, and lupin, work with rhizobia bacteria to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into nitrogen nodules on the plant roots. This process increases soil fertility in rotation with other crops such as wheat, barley and other cereal grains. Cicer beans are classified as “Desi” or “Kabuli” types based in part on seed size, color, thickness of the seed coat, and shape of the seed coat. Desi seed-types produce smaller seeds, generally 100 or more seeds per ounce when dried while Kabuli seed-types when dried can be as large as 38-40 seeds per ounce. Cicer beans have a thick and irregular-shaped seed coat which can range in color when dried from light tan to black. Popularly referred to as the “garbanzo bean,” Kabuli-types produce larger seeds and have a seed coat with a paper-like thickness. Kabuli-types produce seeds with colors that range when dried from white to a pale cafe cream colored tan.
World production of the Cicer bean is roughly three times that of lentils and peas. Among other pulse crops marketed as human food, world Cicer bean consumption is second only to dry beans. Turkey, Australia, Syria, Mexico, Argentina, and Canada are the major Cicer bean exporters around the world. About 90% of Cicer beans, the majority of which are Desi-types, are consumed in India. Historically, North American Cicer bean production was confined to California and to a lesser extent, the Pacific Northwest. Recently, Cicer bean production has expanded into the northern Great Plains regions of Canada and the United States.
Cicer bean plants are erect with primary, secondary and tertiary branching, resembling a small bush. They flower profusely and have an indeterminate growth habit, continuing to flower and set pods as long as conditions are favorable. Pod set occurs on the primary and secondary branches and on the main stem. The individual round pods generally contain one seed in Kabuli-types and often two seeds in Desi-types. Cicer bean stems, leaves and seed pods are covered with small hair-like glandular structures that secrete malic and oxalate acids, which deter insect pests. Insect problems on Cicer beans have been minimal and insecticide applications generally have not been necessary.
Commercial Cicer bean production has heretofore been limited to dry beans, typically harvested at about 10% moisture when, for example, the Kabuli-type bean obtains a characteristic yellowish cream color. Crop loss can be high because swathing or other traditional combining techniques cut the dry Cicer bean plant at its stock and combines traditionally used for harvesting cereal crops are used to depod the product. Yield losses of up to 33% are not uncommon. Furthermore, the dry Cicer bean must undergo extensive rehydration in some instances for canning and transportation to world markets. Cicer beans are often damaged during dry harvesting and processing through breakage of the brittle bean's characteristic small protruding beak-like structure, substantially reducing the economic value of the crop.
In some areas of the world, green Cicer beans are harvested by hand and thereafter depodded by hand for fresh consumption. The green Cicer bean is a valuable crop both for its higher nutritional quality than that of the dry Cicer bean and its characteristic sweet taste and texture. World produce markets have experienced an increased demand for organic green produce, which, in turn, has increased market demand for the green Cicer bean. The known art lacks a commercially viable way to satisfy market demand for the green Cicer bean due primarily to agronomic, harvesting and processing challenges associated with commercial production of green Cicer beans.
The majority of Cicer beans are grown in arid areas of the world subjecting the crop to high temperatures during green harvest time. Green Cicer beans are highly susceptible to caramelization prior to harvest and processing. Caramelization is the process by which sugars in the green Cicer beans are scorched by high ambient temperatures. Caramelization of the green Cicer bean can occur at temperatures of 95° F. and higher. Scorched sugars in the green Cicer bean completely change the taste, color, and nutritional value of the product and render it commercially useless as a green commodity. If the green Cicer bean is exposed to caramelization temperatures, it may only be sold as a sub-standard dried commodity.
Commercial production of the green Cicer bean presents numerous other challenges apart from caramelization. The green Cicer bean pod is tight and leathery, requiring extensive gentle threshing in order to depod the product without damaging bean structure. Known threshing methods fail to open the leathery pod or otherwise remove the pod without damaging the green product. Because of the unique shape of the Cicer bean, various threshing challenges are created in order to preserve all features of the shape including the characteristic small protruding beak-like structure. In addition, the green Cicer bean is maturing in the field daily and is especially susceptible to change in color, texture and flavor. Accordingly, food processors and growers face a challenge to produce a marketable product that must be preserved at the peak of quality; as well as harvested and shipped to food processing plants under time-constrained circumstances. Moreover, processing green Cicer beans presents additional challenges related to the size of the green product. For example, Desi and Kabuli-types vary widely in size, however, both varieties reach maturity at the same time. The green Cicer bean also presents additional challenges to food processors in never-before-seen leaf trash, stem trash, & pods.